human science; but particularly of teaching them to know God, their Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier--of leading the dear lambs to the good Shepherd. But I need not enlarge. Your piety and judgment will point out the way, and the grace of God will, I trust, enable you to be faithful in the discharge of your duty to them as immortal beings, for whose good, temporal and eternal, you are made in a great degree responsible; more so, perhaps, than their parents themselves: for with an influence over them full equal to theirs, your leisure and opportunity for instructing their children, are vastly superior. Who can say, but the welfare of the church and the world may be depending on your present exertions? Another way in which the talent of usefulness is intrusted to you, in your present retired situation, is in devising and suggesting plans of doing good, to those who are yet able to execute. It is an old maxim, applicable to both sexes alike in the present case, "Old men for counsel-young men for war." And very favourable is your situation for cool reflection, without which nothing can be planned which will be likely to be worth executing. You must devise liberal things.' With the Bible to direct your steps, be animated to press forward in this good way by the example, among others, of Mrs. Isabella Graham; whose exertions for the proper instruc

tion of the rising generation, and in planning societies for the relief of suffering humanity, and the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom, will never be forgotten, as long as humanity suffers, or the Redeemer's kingdom endures! Nor will all the property you are pleased to bequeath to the cause of religion, be thrown away or lost. How much good the legacy of Mrs. Norris has done, and will do, is known only to Him who numbers the stars. And how joyful and glorious, dear Madam, could you, from the borders of the grave, be able to look back on all you leave behind, with the heart-consoling thought, that you do not leave them without having tried to do them good; and thank God that through his grace you hope you may be reckoned among those who have endeavoured to follow the Lamb through a world of trial, sin, and sorrow, and at last hear the welcome voice, "well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." That this may be the case, is the sincere desire of

When you reflect on the many happy hours, with which a kind Providence once favoured me in your family, you will not think it strange that I am disposed, even at this late hour and great distance, to "cast one longing, lingering, look behind;" and contrive in this way to hold yet one more interview, ere I make another remove, perhaps to that much farther country, whence there is no more communication with mortals. In all our social conversations, practical utility, you recol lect, used to be our proposed object. Many subjects, of course, of this nature, were successively brought up and canvassed. But it is almost always the case with me, (I wish to know if it is so with others?) that some one subject or other, which I consider of more practical importance than all the rest, is somehow unaccountably omitted; and the only consolation I get on these occasions, is in heaping on myself a strain of unceasing invective-sometimes faulting my memory, then again my indolent spirit; but oftener still my wicked heart, opposed to all that's good; and here, I believe, were I to credit the testimony

of the monitor within, is where the blame really lies. But to return; when I reflect on those firesides, and walks, and religious parties, and the persons who helped to compose them, my conscience upbraids me with having no real affection for those lovely children, of whom I used to think I was so fond; and of actually caring nothing at all for their happiness, whether they should be sages or idiots, virtuous or vicious, respected or despised; in fine, heirs of heaven or heirs of hell; for that I had said scarcely a word about their education! And how could I bear this cutting reflection? I had no alternative, but to take my pen immediately, and noting my loose thoughts on the subject, forward them in a letter. I know that if your better sense and longer experience find any of them impertinent or inconsistent, your candour and affection for the writer will pass them over as wellmeant mistakes. At the same time your humble spirit will never refuse instruction, from whatever source it may come, nor fail to put into practice that which is practical. Permit me, then, dear Madam, to call your attention to the subject of family government, then to that of instruction, as these two heads will embrace every thing that need be said on the education of children.-TO RESTRAIN, and to DIRECT, is all that a parent, or indeed any human teacher, can do. The spirit or the

ability he can never give. Do what he may, he can never exercise a single feeling, or think a single thought, for his child.

In the government of children, of whatever age or sex, I have often thought that two maxims, when blended together, might prove very useful: First, always to treat them as rational beings; second, always to treat them as depraved beings-totally depraved-constantly inclined to that which is wrong. In general, whenever I observe them untractable and disobedient, I at once conclude their parents to be destitute of a firm and practical belief

in one or the other of these two maxims. (And I should not be surprised to find in their possession as many whips as there are children in the nursery; or else to hear it strenuously and frequently maintained in their conversation, that the mind of every child is first like a piece of white paper, on which "fair Virtue puts a seal, or Vice a blot.") I say a practical belief, for I know that the parent also is possessed of the same nature with the child; and it is possible that his natural affections, indolence, or pride, will prevent him from doing what he knows to be duty. But to descend for a moment to particulars. And here, Mrs. C-, allow me for the sake of bringing the subject, as they say, nearer home, to assume an instance for illustration out of your own family. (I am sure you will readily.